Q-News AR News from Queensland

Brad Donald Johnson of MacGregor, VK4BRA whose old call was VK4AIR passed away on 25 March 2026. Brad VK4BRA had been in radio from 1976 as many of us were , as a CBer. Brad passed with a full licence in Amateur Radio in 1979 and worked as a light and sound engineer in his own business. He is survived by 2 sons. The next Ipswich WICEN-supported event is the Brisbane Trail Marathon on April 26 held in the South D’Aguilar National Park. It features the ultimate trail running challenge. Start and finish is at Enoggera Reservoir, The Gap. This is a big event so I’m sure the club’s WICEN coordinator will not turn away any additional volunteer radio operators and supporters to work the various safety check points along the trail. If you have never participated before, you will be paired with an experienced operator. To volunteer please contact Paul at [email protected] I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. By the time you hear this, RedFest will be over, and I know there will be people we met who have forgotten our email address already, so here it is: [email protected] and the home page is at ddrci.org.au, which is where you'll find all the details on what follows. This week reminders that our next club tech and chat meeting will be streamed and in person, and for this month is a week later on Monday 20th of April. No doubt those who return from RedFest will have a bit of show and tell - so bring stuff along - and we have some tech discussions following our outing at John Moyle. And watch this space: there could be a surprise guest. the next bimonthly club lunch is due and that's going to be on 26 April at the Southern Hotel in Toowoomba... south, down Ruthven Street. We've booked the table, and festivities start from 1200. By the way, the hotel has erected a massive solar array which doubles as over-cover for car parking. Quite clever. * last week I mentioned that we're doing another run of licence assessments, and you don't have to be in Toowoomba to work with us. We have four ACMA-accredited advanced assessors, which means we're qualified to take all kinds of special conditions into account, including remote delivery. If you are thinking of getting or upgrading a licence, please talk to us, and start by sending an email to [email protected]. * Personal admission: life has been hectic and I didn't get to this week's QRP transmitter project even though I have a cupboard full of Raspberry Pi boards. And I'm still trying to get to Großreinemachen which is the big magic cleanup. But... while you're waiting for me to claim success, why not try this week's challenge which is "operate in an uncommon digital mode". There's a hint on the website at hamchallenge.org, and scroll down to week 16. We love hearing from members and anyone interested in amateur radio. To do that, and to be added or removed from our mailing list, drop a line to [email protected]. Everything we do is on the website at ddrci.org.au, and you can trust that to be correct. So the reminder: why not come and say hi to us at the club meeting or club lunch in a week. BIG hint: that's a way of achieving the challenge from week 17. Simples! And the club net follows the Sunday morning edition of QNEWS on VK4RDD at 1000 actual time. Until next week, I'm John VK4JPM. 73 from Darling Downs Radio Club.

this is Laurie VK4BLE from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club, with another Redfest 26 update. Have you got your table booked? With only 6 days to Redfest you need to get in quick to book a table or two. So go to the website Redfest.org and book that table so you don’t miss out. There is plenty to enjoy at Redfest, especially for the ladies. Pick up a gift for Mother’s Day as there are plenty of tables with Quilting, Candles, Jams and Jewellery on offer. So, remember to bring the whole family and make it a day out for everyone to enjoy. Have you got tickets in the Redfest raffle? If not go to the website Redfest.org and grab some. Remember our major prize this year is the Icom IC7300 MK2 transceiver. You could also win a Xeigu X6200 or an Anytone AT-D90UV plus many more great prizes on offer. So, don’t forget to grab your tickets. QSL Comms and Elite Communications will be at Redfest. Mad Dog Coils, VK Direct, Radio and More and Garage Art will also be there and not to forget Icom Australia, ALARA and the WIA QSL Bureau. So, remember to come and collect your QSL cards. There will also be heaps of preloved equipment, so grab a bargain. Keep an eye out for the clubs’ famous bacon and egg rolls and have a coffee with friends from the coffee van. We are having some great technical presentations this year at Redfest. Peter VK3TMP from FreeDV will be presenting a technical background to software as well as practical advice about digital communications on HF bands. Glen VK4NGA will be giving a great presentation on how to use Digital Nodes, with a practical demonstration. Icom Australia will be presenting a talk about their latest developments in Amateur Radio. Peter VK4EA our WIA director will be talking about D-Star repeater functionality as well as updating us all on the WIA. So, heaps going at Redfest. So, go to the website redfest.org for more information on all the tech talks and times. Put the date in your calendar, Saturday the 11 th of April, at the Deception Bay North State School, 33-49 Old Bay Rd, Deception Bay, doors open at 9am. See you at Redfest. Hi there for Sunday 5 April and best wishes from Darling Downs Radio Club if you're celebrating Easter, Passover, or just a long long long weekend. I'm Secretary of the club, John VK4JPM. Some important updates this week. Our next club member meeting has had a change of date thanks to some unforeseeable circumstances. It's now on Monday 20 April, just a few days before Anzac day. We'll remind you several times closer so that you don't forget, but please change the date in your diary now. Monday 20 April at the Scout Hall in Newtown, and all the details on the meeting are on the website. Next weekend we're at RedFest on Saturday 11 April, and we'll have a club table. If you're making the pilgrimage, come and say hi. We love meeting people in person. If you have gear that you would like us to sell on your behalf you have until end of Sunday to let us know so that we can mutually arrange to get it to our trailer for transport. Drop a line to [email protected] if you'd like to reserve a spot. The next club lunch has also been held over so that it doesn't clash. We're going to catch up on Sunday 26 April, and the venue might have been posted on the website by the time you hear this - we're just waiting to confirm the space. As always, 1130 for 1200 start. We're looking for candidates for foundation licensing or for upgrades to Standard or Advanced licences. The club has four licensed assessors, and did you know that potentially you can arrange to do the assessment remotely. So if you can't get to Toowoomba, or wherever we happen to be, we can virtually come to you. For more info or to book a time, email to [email protected] I'm John VK4JPM. 73s.

Hello, I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Today's news comes to you courtesy of the letter "A" for Activity, something of which we've had a bit in the last week. Congratulations to everyone who came out for the John Moyle Memorial Field day. The Picnic Point location exceeded our expectations and provided a very convenient basecamp with parking, tables, barbeques, and lots of trees suitable for longwire antennas. While slightly marred by a few short rainshowers, and a fenced-off amenities block, we also had enough sunshine to keep everyone happy. The team ran multi/multi in the six-hour category, and logged lots of interesting stations. Despite almost continuous crashy QRN for the whole day, we logged lots of stations on 40 and 20metres including all VK, some ZL and even an FK. In total the club made 132 contacts which was a good showing. It wasn't all flat chat. As you know our club is very focused on education and training, and we were able to hand the mic to operators who had never come close to competition work so that they could get a feel for how to operate under load. You really only learn by doing, and our field day operation worked very well. Thanks so much to all the stations who participated in the John Moyle Memorial Field Day, and thanks for your contacts. We should also congratulate member Andy who sat his Foundation licence during the John Moyle Field Day and passed with flying colours... it was a very good day for the practical test, since many of the questions could be answered by pointing at a bit of gear in use. And since Wednesday Andy is now VK4ODN. Listen out for him, and say hi. Would you like to get or upgrade your licence? Clearly we can definitely help and we'd love to do that. No charge for the assessment, just a bit of your time. Ask away by sending email to [email protected] and our helpful team will get back to you. This is Week 14 of the 52 Week Ham Radio Challenge and it's UHF/VHF time - specifically, make 10 contacts on a UHF or VHF calling frequency. Or both. Nobody says you can't line things up in advance, so maybe this is a nice relaxing opportunity for the coming week? Our club's 2m Sunday Net follows the morning edition of QNEWS on VK4RDD, and there will be no shortage of people who would be willing to talk simplex afterwards if you come up and connect. 10 contacts in a week is roughly one every 20 hours, so plenty of time between soccer practice, shopping expeditions, and recreational trips to the local servo. Coming up: * we're going to RedFest on 11 April and if you have gear you'd like us to put on the table on your behalf: now would be a good time to tell us. If you wait until the day before, the chances are we will already have left. So... let the club help you: send an email to [email protected] right now to give us a headsup and we'll set some space aside. By the way, we're planning to take our club trailer down and depending on space we might even be allowed to show it off a bit. the next club meeting is Monday 13 April at the Scout Hall in Victory Street Newtown. and as always all the announcements are on our home page in the calendar section. You can click through to find out what's going on, or send an email to [email protected]. I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, and if you're within radio range I'd love to be one of the people saying hi on the club net that follows the morning edition. Details on the website! 73!!

This is Laurie VK4BLE from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club, with another Redfest 26 update. Just a reminder, if you are still wishing to be a part of Redfest 26 and want to book a table or two, go to the website Redfest.org, that is Redfest.org. So, get in now as there is only 19 days till Redfest. Digital communications, what is this new technology you ask, then come to the presentation by Peter from FreeDV. What about digital nodes, well Glen VK4NGA will be giving a great presentation on how to use them. Icom Australia will be at Redfest 26 and is going to talk about their latest developments in Amateur Radio. How about D Star, well Peter VK4EA our WIA director will be talking about D-Star repeater functionality as well as updating us all on the WIA. So, heaps going at Redfest 26. So, go to the website redfest.org for more information. Remember our major prize this year is the Icom IC7300 MK2 transceiver and all the other great prizes on offer. So, don’t forget to grab your tickets QSL Comms and Elite Communications will be at Redfest. Mad Dog Coils, VK Direct, Radio and More and Garage Art will also be there and not to forget Icom Australia, ALARA and the WIA QSL Bureau. So, remember to come and collect your QSL cards. Keep an eye out for the clubs’ famous bacon and egg rolls and have a coffee with friends from the coffee van. There is plenty to enjoy at Redfest, especially for you wife or partner. Pick up a gift for mother’s day as there are plenty of tables with goodies for the ladies. So, remember to bring the whole family and make it a day out for everyone to enjoy. Put the date in your calendar, Saturday the 11th of April, at the Deception Bay North State School, 33-49 Old Bay Rd, Deception Bay, doors open at 9am. See you at Redfest. Hello from the Darling Downs Radio Club; I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the club and it's Sunday 22 March if you're listening to QNEWS live. Last Sunday I reminded you about the benefits of being a WIA member and this past week we renewed our insurance. Thanks for helping! A short block of news this week because we're all very focused on prep for John Moyle Memorial Field Day. By the time you hear this our contribution to the Field Day will have happened, but if you're reading the text edition before 1100 on Saturday 21 March, then take this as a reminder that we'd appreciate if you could give us a shout on air between 1100 and 1700. The reminders this week: we're definitely taking the club trailer to RedFest, so if you'd like us to put some of your gear on the table for sale please get in touch so that we can reserve space. RedFest is only three weeks away, and getting closer all the time. If you're planning to attend and you'll arrive on the Friday night, why not send an email to [email protected] and we'll let you know where we're having dinner on Friday 10th. * also if you want to sell stuff locally, let us know so that we can add items to our mailouts. If you're not on our mailing list, or you think you're not receiving emails, send a note to [email protected] so that we can sort things out for you. our next club meeting will be second Monday of the month - in April that's the 13th, which is the Monday after Redfest, and details will be on the website at ddrci.org.au. If you have any questions, send an email to [email protected] or if you forget that you can shout out via the contact page on the website. Thanks for listening - I'm John VK4JPM for the Darling Downs Radio Club. The weekly Club 2m net follows the Sunday morning edition of QNEWS at 1000 on VK4RDD, and we love hearing from distant stations. 73s.

Kevin Dalton VK4WA at age 74 has passed away after being in a nursing home with dementia for some time. Kevin Dalton, now Silent Key, had been an enthusiastic long time member of the Brisbane Amateur Radio Club over many years, serving in most club committee positions. VK4WA had a passion for building kit and homebrew projects. He was always keen to start many and varied projects including the club parrot repeater, a club beacon which morphed into the WSPR Beacon and the installation of old and new repeaters at Rochedale, serving as the officer in charge. His radio interests were varied, covering the full spectrum from the 2200m band through to microwave bands. He was also working on the leading edge of LED transmissions and with VK4EBP Jan Oskuita successfully transmitted signals from the Rochedale club to Redbank Plains, then co-wrote a published paper on the findings that drew interest from England and across the world. In his later years, Kevin found travelling to the Rochdale club shack taxing, and so he joined the Ipswich and District Radio Club for a short time, before convalescing at home. His funeral will be held at Mt Gravatt Cemetery & Crematorium Chapel at 620 Mains Road, Nathan on Monday 16 March at 12:30PM. This is Laurie VK4BLE from the Redcliffe and Districts Radio Club, with another Redfest 26 update. Just a reminder, if you are still wishing to be a part of Redfest 26 and want to book a table or two, go to the website Redfest.org So, get in now as there is only 26 days till Redfest. Do you want to know more about digital communications, then come to the presentation by Peter from FreeDV. Do you know how to use digital nodes, well Glen VK4NGA will be giving a great presentation on how to use them. Icom Australia will be at Redfest 26 and is going to talk about their latest developments in Amateur Radio. Peter VK4EA our WIA director will be talking about D-Star repeater functionality as well as updating us all on the WIA. So, heaps going on and you won’t be disappointed. So, go to the website redfest.org for more information. Remember our major prize this year is the Icom IC7300 MK2 transceiver second prize is a Xiegu X6200 HF transceiver and 3rd prize is a Anytone DMR transceiver plus many more prizes on offer. If you are the lucky winner and not at Redfest, your prize will be shipped to you, no matter where you are. If you are looking for new equipment, then catch up with QSL Comms or Elite Communications. Mad Dog Coils, VK Direct, Radio and More and Garage Art will also be there and not to forget Icom Australia, ALARA and the WIA QSL Bureau. So, remember to come and collect your QSL cards or just inquire about the service. Update your information with the bureau as you may had an address change or callsign upgrade. Catch up with friends you haven’t seen for a while. Keep an eye out for the coffee van and clubs’ famous bacon and egg rolls on the day. There is plenty to enjoy at Redfest, especially for you wife or partner. There will be plenty of tables with goodies for the ladies. Grab a ticket in the Mother’s Day raffle, they will love it. So, remember to bring the whole family and make it a day out for everyone to enjoy. Put the date in your calendar, Saturday the 11th of April, at the Deception Bay North State School, 33-49 Old Bay Rd, Deception Bay, doors open at 9am. See you at Redfest. Thanks for joining the Darling Downs Radio Club for our QNEWS segment on Sunday 15 March 2026. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the club, and this week's info is sponsored by the letter "W" for "WIA". Are you a member of the WIA? There are SO many good reasons to be a WIA member, but here's one that's important to our club. Every year we have to pay an eye-watering public liability insurance bill to protect the club in case something goes wrong. That bill would be substantially higher, except that the WIA has arranged a massive discount..

Hello, and welcome to Sunday and QNEWS. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, where lots is happening, starting at lunchtime today when we're heading to Picnic Point to do some more practical work on antennas. And you're invited. We heard a rumour that some of us are a bit scared of HF operation, and haven't had enough experience tuning random long wires. So... we figured that now is as good a time as any to go and learn a bit. Check out the website at ddrci.org.au and look for the calendar entry on the home page for 8 March - that's today. All the details for how to find us is in that article, but essentially, we'll be just over the hill from the Picnic Point cafe. Between 1200 and 1630, we're going to be lobbing wires, tuning, testing transmitters, talking a bit, testing some more... lot of "t" words, apparently. Between tests and QSOs, we'll have some coffee and a bit of BYO picnic lunch. Also, Picnic Point is a POTA location, so you can get on air and rack up a few contacts. If you let us know in advance, we might be able to run a licence assessment because everything will be in place. Send an email right now to [email protected] so that we know you're interested. This is all in aid of preparation for the John Moyle Memorial Field Day, which is the major topic for our monthly club meeting tomorrow night. This is a natter and prep night, so we don't have a guest speaker. Just come along at 1900 at the Scout Hall in Newtown, find out what the club is doing, and have a relaxing cuppa and some timtams. Then we'll discuss our plans for the John Moyle field day, which is in only two weeks. The Zoom will be available online from 1900, so look for the link on the website and join us even if you can't be in the room. The John Moyle Memorial Field Day itself runs over a whole weekend, but traditionally our club enters for the first six-hour block on Saturday 22 March from 1100-1700. It's a whole-of-club activity, and we need your help and participation. Last year was fun, relaxing, educational, and successful. We need to defend our honour for this one, and you can read all about that on the home page too. So did you get all those dates down? Today at Picnic Point for a practical field antenna setup session; tomorrow, Monday 9 March, for the monthly Club Meeting where we'll talk about what we learned and do some planning for the John Moyle Field day, and Saturday 21 March for the actual field day exercise. Two other quick items. The club will be represented with a table at Redfest on 11 April, now only a month away. We're taking down some gear to sell, and if you can't attend but would like us to sell some gear on your behalf, send a note to [email protected] and over the next few weeks, we'll work out how to get the gear transported. Lastly, have you checked out the 52-week Ham Radio Challenge at hamchallenge.org? This week's entry is simple and delightful: it's what the Germans call "Großreinemachen", which literally translates into English as "great magic cleaning"... Großreinemachen is the week 11 challenge, where you are tasked to tidy up all the cables in the shack - what a lovely idea. It's optional to unscramble the collection behind your desk, and the fearful spaghetti behind the TV. So much easier than whistling CW. Check the club website at ddrci.org.au for links, and send an email to [email protected] if you have questions. Until next week, thanks for listening - for the Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm John VK4JPM. If it's Sunday morning, the club 2m net follows at 1000 AEST. 73s!

This is all the people whose lives you’ve touched transmitting. Greg, if you copy, hold the frequency. It feels like absence, like space where a voice once was. Signals do not disappear. They continue. And what a person builds on air in wire in people does not simply stop. You never lived by the rule that comfort equals peace. You lived by the rule that comfort is the first thing to question. You believed headwinds are not personal. Crosswinds are not unfair. And lee winds — that sudden drop, that shaking frame — are not a sign to quit. They are a test of trim. You adjust. You steady. You climb. You believed complacency is the real danger. Not risk. Not boldness. Not standing out. Complacency. The quiet drift downward when we stop paying attention to lift. You believed connection matters. If you can reach someone reach them. Build the antenna. Make the call. Transmit while you can. You didn’t just build antennas. You built reach. From Mobile One to a garage that hummed again because purpose does not retire, you proved that usefulness is not seasonal. If your hands still work build. If your mind still sparks design. If your voice still carries speak. Unapologetically. You believed fitting in is vastly overrated. So you didn’t. You never entered quietly, not rooms, not conversations, not lives. Joy first. Volume second. Standing on your toes as if the ground were optional. You ruffled feathers. You challenged comfort. You made rooms adjust to you instead of shrinking to fit them. And yes not everyone understood you at first. But you never measured yourself by first impressions. You measured yourself by whether you were real. You believed people are more than the worst thing they’ve done. So you forgave early. You forgave often. You saw past the noise to the signal underneath. And that belief changed people. And made the world a better place You wrote poetry like you flew — direct, deliberate, aware. Warning of sleeping dragons. Warning of drift. Reminding us that lift is earned by those who stay awake. You believed joy is not indulgent. It is oxygen. That laughter is not noise. It is energy. That love is not soft. It is structural. And so very necessary in this world You believed life is not meant to be lived carefully around the edges. It is meant to be entered fully. Fully loud. Fully flawed. Fully alive. Unapologetically And here is what you leave us — Not just memory. Not just stories. A mandate; A way to live, A way to love, A way to give, That keeps your memory alive Do not live small. Do not lower your voice just because the room is timid. Do not mistake comfort for safety. When the air drops — trim. When the frame shakes — hold. When the rotor hits — climb. Headwinds are not personal. Crosswinds are not unfair. Lee winds will shake you. But lift is still there. Always there. If we pay attention. If we stay awake. If we refuse complacency. If we live wide instead of careful. If we love before we are certain. If we build something that reaches beyond us. If we forgive without score, If we give from our hearts when we can, If we transmit what matters, We too can make the world a better place. Then your signal does not fade. It strengthens. It is amplified. It hums in the way we show up. It hums in the way we speak truth. It hums in the way we stand taller, even when the air feels thin. And one day, when someone asks why we refused to shrink, why we dared to live louder, why we chose joy over fear — We will say: Because we knew a man who would not live half-life. A man who climbed when the air fell away. A man who taught us that lift is always there, if you’re willing to rise into it. Explorer-hearted. Unfiltered flame. Generous spirit. Greg — you mattered. This is all the people whose lives you’ve touched here. Signal strong. Altitude rising. Bandwidth wide. We are not descending. We are climbing. We rise in lifting others. Final 7-3 VK4BBX, Clear.

Welcome to QNEWS for week 8 of 2026. I'm John VK4JPM, secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club, with our contribution. One of the real charms of a club is when it can provide some social activity between birds of a feather, and the Darling Downs Radio Club does that on the even months of the year. So here it is February and today at lunchtime (if you're listening on Sunday 22nd, of course) you can come and join us. You don't have to be a member of the club, and it doesn't matter if you don't know anyone because we're really friendly. We'll be hard to miss, because we're in the club shirts with our names in bright yellow letters and club caps. Very hard to miss. The February lunch is a very social barbeque starting from 1130 or so, at Peacehaven Botanic Park on Kuhls Road just south of Highfields. Stan Kuhl - that's K U H L was a dairy farmer who used to own most of the land in the area, and in 2005 he donated 4.7 hectares of land to be developed into a botanic park. The council has even expanded it a bit since then, with a plant sales area that will be open from 0900 on the day. We're going to be at the barbeques on the western side... plenty of parking on-street close to the BBQ area, or actually off Kuhls Road which is slightly a bit more of a walk but good exercise and very pretty. And there's tons of seating and undercover tables so you only need to bring what you plan to eat and drink. The location is good for HF and VHF so bring a radio if you feel like it. We'll be listening on VK4RTQ repeater and 146.500 simplex in case you get lost, and we'll answer to VK4WID. All the details are on the website at DDRCi.org.au. You don't have to register, but we'd love to get an email to lunch at ddrci.org.au to let us know you're coming. Next: More good news on the licence front. Club member Perry decided that it was time to do the Foundation Assessment and sailed through the theory and prac exams. By the time you hear this he might even have his call. Well done Per. We'd love to help you get started or do an upgrade, and there's no charge for that. Just drop a line to [email protected] and let's have a chat about how to make your ham aspirations a reality. This is week 8 of 2026, and if you're following the international ham radio challenge at hamchallenge.org you'll find that the week 8 challenge is to do some experimenting with APRS. That's the Amateur Radio Packet Reporting system, and there's a pretty good Wikipedia article that explains what APRS is all about. If you haven't ever played with APRS, it's not too hard to get started and there are plenty of resources available to help. Even looking up the history on the web is interesting, and there's a VK APRS site hidden in there with some useful local tips - helpful, given that APRS is designed as a real time protocol for local material. Let us know how you go. And finally: lock in the date of 9 March for our next club meeting. We'll tell you more about that next week. Wrapping up: the bi-monthly is Sunday 22 February (most likely that's today) and all the details are on the club website at DDRCi.org.au. Turn up a bit early if you'd like to buy some plants at the nursery, and it's a BYO everything event. As always we're listening, so if you have an idea for a meeting or activity, want to check any of the info I've just provided, or just make contact, drop an email to [email protected] and as Perry will tell you: we respond very quickly. I'm John VK4JPM secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Our 2m weekly net follows at the top of the hour on VK4RDD. Till next week, 73 and good packeting!

Wherever you are, welcome to QNEWS for Sunday 15 Feb. I'm John VK4JPM, Secretary of the Darling Downs Radio Club. Firstly, what's coming up. Seriously, you should check the website because everything you need to know is there and it's the most accurate source of dates and information. But... OK, you can twist my arm a bit and we'll fill you in on-air also. Following the morning national news at 1000, please join us for the weekly gathering on VK4RDD at 146.750 with no tones. Net control is VK4WID and if you can hear us, why not join in? Dates for the diary: our next club lunch, which is open to all (because we're just so social) and is a DIY BBQ on Sunday 22 Feb at Peacehaven Park - that's just south of Highfields and really easy to find. Yum. the next club meeting, which is also open to all and will be on Monday 9 March. Details on the website. on Saturday 21 March you can join our team for the John Moyle Memorial Field Day. Not only will you help the club defend our honour, but it's a great way for foundation and inexperienced operators to build skills really quickly... just like a mega-training event we'll be at RedFest selling gear and representing the club on Saturday 11th April. * and can you help us on Sunday 7 June? it's mid-year, which might seem like a long way off, but it will leap up sooner than you think. Bunnings was so impressed with us last year that they've invited us back, and we had sucha good time that we've decided we're up for the challenge. There's a forward-events item on the sliding calendar right now if you go to our home page at ddrci.org.au Speaking of which: we've been doing some work on the website under the hood. You can help us by checking it out and feel free to go through ALL the pages if you like. Then let us know what's old, wrong or broken so that we can fix it. ddrci.org.au - you can enter the https:// and/or dubdubdub but it's not necessary. Then send what you find to the contact page or directly to [email protected] At last Monday's club tech meeting we had a truly interesting night focusing on antennas. Much thanks to Sam, Geoff, Bruce, and Bob for stellar contributions. If you attended, can you tell us what you thought by sending a quick email? If you missed it, there won't be a recording but we will be putting some reference material on the website for Ron. That's later ron. Finally this week's ham challenge is both easy and delightful: it's "Thank a fellow ham radio operator". So easy, but so important. We all like to know that those around us appreciate our work, so tell someone today. Details at hamchallenge.org If you missed anything I've just mentioned check the website, and if you're still confused then email to [email protected] might help. Or it might not, but give it a go anyway. For the Darling Downs Radio Club, I'm John VK4JPM. Do the ham challenge, and tell another operator that you appreciate their work.